VOTE YES ON MEASURE H 2026
Lafayette Schools Parcel Tax
VOTE YES on H to protect the outstanding quality of education that local children attending neighborhood TK-8 schools receive from Lafayette School District (LAFSD). When our schools are strong, Lafayette is strong.
Our neighborhood schools – Burton Valley, Happy Valley, Lafayette, and Springhill Elementary Schools, and Stanley Middle School – consistently rank among the top 5% in the state. However, they are at risk. It’s not an expense problem; it’s a revenue problem. The state’s faulty funding formula under funds Lafayette School District. In fact, we’re among the lowest funded in the state. The result: over the last 3 years, LAFSD schools have suffered millions in cuts and our teacher salaries have fallen behind neighboring districts.
Fortunately, our community has consistently approved local, stable funding measures to close the gap, protecting exceptional teaching and rigorous instruction. Measure H replaces a soon to expire parcel tax to help ensure competitive teacher salaries, prevent further deep cuts to vital instructional programs, and avoid future teacher layoffs.
Measure H will:
- Attract/retain outstanding teachers
- Protect advanced, high-quality math, science, engineering, and technology programs
- Preserve high-quality reading, writing, and language arts programs
- Maintain manageable class sizes
- Keep school facilities safe, clean, and well-maintained
- Continue high-quality music, visual, and performing arts programs
Measure H includes a SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION.
REQUIRED TAXPAYER SAFEGUARDS:
- ALL funds STAY LOCAL to support elementary students. The State cannot take these funds away.
- NO funds are allowed for administrators' salaries.
- Citizens' Oversight and mandatory audits ensure proper spending.
- Measure H lasts 9 years. It cannot be extended without a new vote.
Even if you don’t have school-age children, supporting Measure H is a wise investment. Great schools protect property values and our quality of life. That’s why parents, teachers, business and civic leaders, and residents from every Lafayette neighborhood SUPPORT Measure H.
Remember: Strong Schools. Strong Lafayette. Please, VOTE YES on H.
Lamorinda Weekly: A Responsible Choice for Lafayette
As a former teacher, former member of Contra Costa County Board of Education, 46 year Lafayette resident and homeowner, and a grandmother of children currently in Lafayette schools, I've spent decades thinking about what strong, effective public education requires.
It comes down to this: stability, accountability, and local control.
Over the years, I've seen what happens when school systems lack predictable funding. Districts are forced into short-term decisions like cutting programs one year, trying to rebuild the next. That kind of instability is not good for students, families, or teachers.
Measure H is about maintaining stability and protecting what is working in our Lafayette schools.
Importantly, it is also structured with clear local oversight. Funds are controlled locally, must be spent on local students, and are subject to independent audits and citizen oversight. That matters. As someone who has served in public office, I believe strongly that if we ask taxpayers to contribute, we must also ensure transparency and accountability in how those dollars are used.
I also believe in planning ahead. Waiting until funding expires before acting often leads to disruption and uncertainty. Thoughtful communities like Lafayette take a long view, ensuring continuity rather than reacting in crisis. This is what we've always done and what we must continue to do.
While people may reasonably differ on taxes in general, local investments in our schools and our children that are transparent, time-limited, and accountable deserve careful consideration from everyone.
For me, Measure H meets that standard. This is about the classrooms where our children and grandchildren learn, the teachers who guide and inspire them, and the future of Lafayette that we all care deeply about.
Christine W Deane
Lafayette
Lamorinda Weekly: Support the next generation with Measure H
As a Lafayette parent and Chief Scientific Officer in the biotechnology sector, I think a lot about what it takes to solve complex problems and build for the future.
It starts with education.
The scientists, engineers, and innovators we depend on don't appear overnight. They are shaped over years by strong foundational skills, by exposure to science and critical thinking, and by teachers who know how to challenge and inspire students early on.
That foundation is built right here in Lafayette at every school in our district.
Measure H is about protecting that foundation. It ensures our students continue to have access to the hands-on learning and educational environments that encourage curiosity and resilience. These traits that are indispensable in the modern workforce.
From a professional standpoint, I also know that the regions that invest in education today are the ones that lead tomorrow. From a parent's standpoint, I want my children, and all Lafayette students, to have every opportunity to discover what they're capable of and pursue it.
Measure H is a practical, local investment in that future.
Supporting Measure H means supporting the next generation of thinkers, builders, and leaders who will shape not just Lafayette, but the world beyond it.
Fred Aswad
Lafayette Parent & Chief Scientific Officer
Lamorinda Weekly: Measure H for our schools
Loving your kids is easy. Setting boundaries is no sweat. (Though Johnny's Donuts is apparently not an 'every day' occurrence, so my wife reminds me.) A high-quality public education? No brainer — just move to Lafayette.
We moved here five years ago, and the main reason (besides doughnuts) was the incredible public schools. My two kids are now thriving at Stanley Middle School.
Our schools are exceptional, and that doesn't happen by accident. It takes outstanding teachers, manageable class sizes, and strong STEM and language arts programs. State funding alone isn't enough. Measure H — the parcel tax on the June ballot — fills that gap, providing stable, local funding that stays in Lafayette, controlled by our community, not Sacramento.
Great schools aren't just for families. They're for everyone who owns property in Lafayette. Our schools are the single biggest reason buyers choose Lafayette, and why our home values are among the highest in Contra Costa County. Measure H is also an investment in those home values.
Locally controlled funding, for Lafayette kids, overseen by Lafayette neighbors. That's worth protecting as much as our delicious doughnuts.
Please vote Yes on Measure H.
Don Delco
PTA President, Stanley Middle School
Lamorinda Weekly: Support for Measure H
As parents of alumni of the Lafayette School District, we are writing to express our strong support for Measure H.
Our families' connection to the Lafayette School District TK-8 schools spans many years, and we have seen firsthand the meaningful impact that locally funded support has on the quality of education provided. From strong academic programs to enrichment opportunities in music, art, and science, these experiences helped shape our children not only as students, but as well-rounded individuals prepared for high school, college, and beyond.
Over the years, we have also been actively involved in past parcel tax campaigns, working alongside other parents, educators, and community members who care deeply about maintaining excellence in our schools. Together with Lafayette Partners in Education, these measures have been essential in bridging the gap between inadequate state funding and the actual cost of delivering the high-quality education that Lafayette families expect and value.
Measure H continues that tradition. It helps attract and retain outstanding teachers, maintain manageable class sizes, and preserve the programs that make our schools exceptional. Without this local funding, many of these critical elements would be at risk.
Even though our children have completed their education in our local Lafayette schools, we believe strongly in paying it forward, just as those who came before us did. Supporting our local public schools sustains the strength of our entire community, benefiting current students, future families, and local property values.
We encourage our fellow community members to join us in voting YES on Measure H on June 2.
Meredith Meade, Former Lafayette School District Governing Board Member 2016-2024, & Dan Meade
Suzy Pak, Former Lafayette School District Governing Board Member 2014-2024, & Mark Gundacker
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